Cadance loves Shining Armor. How could she not love her new husband with every fiber of her being? She does love him, but, there is someone else she found, just a little too late.
Cadance has long been a friend of the Sparkle famly. She went with them on their vacations, joined in their cookouts, spent the night over, was trusted to foalsit Twilight when she was little, and even allowed to marry the love of her life, Shining Armor. There's no pony she could love more. Okay, maybe just one. But why couldn't she figure it before the wedding?
Contains: Sexual descriptions, emotional infidelity, femslash
Music pounded throughout the grand ballroom of Canterlot Castle. Beats thudded through the flood, amplified by the pounding hooves of the partiers. Cadance danced to the beat with Shining Armor, her new husband. His eyes still spun a little, but the big smile on his face said he didn't care, and neither did she. They pressed their necks up close and kissed. It was a good kiss, plenty of tongue and not held back. He was warm, strong, and masculine. It made the girlish part of the alicorn whinny as she leaned back, inviting him more into the kiss.
They broke the kiss and they danced, hoof in hoof. He twirled her around and let her spin, seeing the whole world happy for them. Ponies were smiling. Cadance and Celestia, Twilight Sparkle and her friends, both of Shining Armor's parents, and so many party guests, many she distinctly knew had not been on the list. Strong feelings of love were overwhelming her, overwhelmed in no small part by the circular thrum in her head from champagne.
She looked at her husband with love as he smiled at her. She laughed in her joy, just as he pulled her back in and planted a deep kiss while she pressed her barrel against him, feeling a heat rise within her. He looked so great in his military dress uniform, and she in her feminine gown. He took the lead and broke the kiss, waltzing her around in a circle as if to show off his blushing bride.
She had him. But this felt wrong. Great, but wrong. Perfect, but wrong. Was she not the princess elevating the commoner?
She smashed it down with a smile, returning to Shining's side. She coiled her forelegs around him to lock him in a close embrace. A jolt of gravity made her open her wings as she fell backward, only for his arms to stop her, and then his lips to kiss her again. She kissed back as she dangled.
The song clanged in her ears. She pulled him down to nibble at her neck. Upside down, she saw his family, now their shared family. They were all so happy. So she was. Twilight looked fit to squee.
The song finally wound down, and Shining let her go. She kissed him hard again on the lips and retired for some more champagne and refreshments, and a bit of quiet for the next round of pounding music.
She levitated her glass over with her as she went to the window. Below her from the high window was the city of Canterlot, it was looking better than she's though. She guessed her and Shining's love explosion that had driven out the changelings had ended things before they'd gotten too bad, but she knew better; just because it wasn't plain to be seen by all...
She took a gulp of champagne. Focus on the happy.
Princess Cadance felt herself let out a huge sigh. This was better, so much better. She heard the dancing in the background and swayed her hips with it. She recognized the song and came along. The DJ was doing great work, mixing withmixing with with the bombastic tunes of horns and some added bass on the drums. She stamped her hooves on the lacqueredlaquered marble, her clack dying out to the electronic noises and the furor of the joyous celebrants.
She sang along, sang herself silly and hoarse. It was her wedding, and she'd be a sight if she wanted to. Her husband was certainly doing it, now dancing with his mom. The wild mare was outdoing her, despite being nearly thirty years her own senior. Good for her, never losing that love of life. Her husband was lucky to have such a mare be the mother of his children. Cadance had him for her father-daughter dance; sixteen years of being orphaned had barely still lost their sting when she remembered Night Light, for all the kindness he'd shown her, words they'd shared, and years of warmth, was not her true father.
She had lost her family. She drained chugged the glass dry. No, the Sparkles were her family now, in both the eyes of the law and society.
She smiled. This day was going to be just perfect. In the end, it had been, close enough.
Not bad for a day begun being immured in a cave.
"So, has this been just perfect, the kind of day you'd dreamed since you were small?"
Cadance turned, expecting to see Twilight Sparkle. Instead, she saw Twilight Velvet. "Better than it had seemed."
"Could have been worse, could have been worse?" Why was Velvet apologizing to her? She was having the grandest time of them all, bride of the wedding and all.
"I've had worse."
Velvet nudged against her wing. "Are you sure?" No expectation, save honesty.
The princess sighed slowly, "Well, truthfully, it was the worst day of my life. I woke up today, thinking I was going to starve to death in a dark cave while a monster took my place and husband, and poised herself to take the throne of Equestria."
Velvet pressed against, side to side. "Sorry about that."
"It's fine. It's all fine."
"I know it is," said Velvet with a smile as Cadance hugged a wing around her.
Cadance hid it, but her heart wentwas going for a jog. It must have been the alcohol. She may only have eyes for her husband, Shining Armor. This mare against her side felt nice. Obviously, she wouldn't hug her if she was at all worried about anything.
Velvet tossed her mane carelessly, a few strands falling across her face. It wasn't a beautiful face or a pretty face. Actually, it was very plain, almost totally unremarkable, but also nice. It was the kind of face Cadance would not have minded seeing smiling down at her on a rough day... With the harsh lights of the dance floor, the older mare's wrinkles were softened and hidden for brief moments. Call it a trick of the light, but Cadance couldn't help but like it.
She crushed it.
Twilight Velvet always knew just what to say to make her feel better. Twilight Velvet always knew just what to do to make her feel better.
Velvet’sHer son was entertaining the guests right now. It was just sensical that his mother was over here to provide comfort while he made sure the wedding festivities all went off without any further problems. There he was at that very moment, carousing with the guests and revellers, telling a joke that made them all laugh, some of them spilling champagne in their drunkenness.
And here were his mother and his bride with empty glasses.
"I'm sorry it went this way, Cady."
Cadance gave a waggle of the eyebrow. "What do you mean? I married my groom, saved the realm, and here I am enjoying your victory." It was meant to be provocative, to get a response, but she saw in the other mare's face that it had gone too far and expressed veiled hostility.
"No, no, you won all that," Velvet answered defensively, "I meant to say I care about you, Cadance, and I wanted to make sure you were all okay after everything.”
Cadance flagged for a server with a flourish of sparks from her horn. "How could I not be? I got to marry the love of my life and vanquish a sworn enemy of Equestria on the same day. What more could a mare want?"
Velvet sipped at her empty glass and nodded. "Nothing more at all. I just wanted you to know I'm here for you. It must have been hard in that cave."
"It was bad." Cadance lowered her head. "Thank you for asking." They met eyes and smiled. "How was your wedding, Missus Sparkle?"
Twilight Velvet laughed a hearty laugh. "Twilight or Velvet to you, dear! Anyway. Ann-yyy-waay, it was horrible." First, I woke up early and had to wait for so long. Then my makeup took foreversoo long, I nearly died of boredom. And could you believe it, the hotel breakfast was all out of honeydew? Honeydew! Oh, and thanks to the night before, and I forgot the sponge, so part of Night Light leaked out of me and got on my dress. The horror! White on white! The horror!"
Cadance laughed, "You had it so much worse," The glass was refilled now, but she didn't touch it. "I'd've told you to just swallow!"
"Devil!" Velvet chorused at the princess, nipping audibly.
"Alicorn. And don't let him forget it."
"Never, Yyour Ggrace."
"Is the new prince doing well?"
"He's got one mad headache, but he'll manage."
"Just his head? By the end of ourend our party, I had Night Light aching from snout to tail, and he was begging me for more."
Cadance asked, "Begging for more?"
"How do you keep a stallion for twenty-one years? Hmmm!?"
Cadance said, "Incessant nagging so he can't think to run."
"Use that all the time, but the true language of love is spoken with hips. Until it isn't."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Velvet looked past her. "Nothing, nothing, just something silly." Her face was getting red. "It's just nice to know someponyone cares, someponyone who's always been there."
"Yeah, it's nice." She wasn't lying to the other mare.
"My son is so lucky."
"What number glass is that?"
"Wasn't counting.; nNot like I'm paying."
"Oh."
"You know, Cady, you should have seen my wedding dress."
"Should I have?"
Velvet stumbled. "Well, duh, it was nothing like yours. I couldn't compete with the royal treasury when it comes to dress shopping. The hoofmade silk, the sheer lace across your haunches, the diamond texturing down your back, the hoof embroidery, sewing pearls into the collar, the rose quartz crystals that draw attention to your flanks, but also the classy veil and luxurious train and satin shroud, all with an ivy weaving of gold thread in! Your dress was simply to die for, Cadance! You were one damn fine mare in it! Really fuckable!"
"’Fuckable’?"
"Oooh! Excuse me."
Cadance couldn't stop blushing, even as her eyes went up and down Velvet. "But you know what? You should have seen me in my wedding dress. It wasn't anything traditional, just something from a friend. Black lace, some ribbons, nearely sheer at some points. It hugged my body. I swear, when Night Light took me in it, I never felt him pulse harder. I'll have to show you sometime. Won't you let me?"
"I—- ah—- I will, Velvet."
"Good." Velvet smiled, eyeing for a way out. "One of Twi's friends is asking for me. Thanks for the chat, Cadance, it's good to know you're well."
"Thanks for the chat," Cadance said, feeling Twilight Velvet brush heavily against her.
Maybe it was the booze, but the image of Velvet remained in her head for a long time.
"Cadance, there you are!" Shining yelled, approaching her.
"Yep, me, Cadance, here," she responded.
He kissed her again, swaying around her neck. She smelled the alcohol on his breath, the musk coming from his body under the dress uniform. He asked, "So, saw you hanging out with Mmom. Everything alright?"
He was looking at her kindly.
Her face tried to rebel into a frown.
Just turn those corners... down a little...
No, she was happy. This was great, perfect perfect. She didn't know how, but it was, never mind her feelings. The princess gave a practiced smile, her royal smile. Relax the chest and throat, let the jaw fall a little, chin up, wrinkle the eyes, and bring her lip up. There, perfect. He was smiling back. "I'm fine, Shiny," Cadance said, "Just a little overwhelmed with everything. It's been a big day."
"Yeah. Just the first day of the rest of our lives."
He headbutted her. "When you say it like that, it makes it sound so heavy, like it's something that's gonna suck. Forever isn't so long if it's with someponyone you love, isn't it?"
"It isn't. I guess I'm just getting jitters. It's a big step, we're both young, and—-"
"Cadance!" Her husband pled into her eyes. She shut up, looking straight into Shining Armor's innocent blue eyes. "Do you love me?"
She tenderly reached up a hoof and cupped his face in it. "Yes, Shining Armor, I love you, yes I do."
"Then we have nothing to worry about."
"Forgive me, it's stupid for me to be worried about love.; I am the princess of love., I should have more faith in it."
"It's nothing at all, Cady," Shining replied, "I'm your husband, it's my duty to see to you as a mare." He kissed her again and then nibbled at her neck. "And my duty as your guard captain to see to you as a princess."
Cadance giggled, clacking her hooves. "Would you like to retire for the evening?"
"Let's. But don't count on much sleep." Shining traced a line of kisses down her jawline, her neck, and along her back
"Don't worry, I won't let you sleep, either."
And soon enough, his dress uniform was on the floor, discarded while the exquisitely soft and supportive cloud bed made delicate flumphing noises, though theyre were drowned out by the moans and words of the two ponies. She still wore her dress. Their bodies moved faster, their sounds grew louder. Cadance felt her heart swelling.
It was amazing. All her troubles were forgotten in the close embrace and the heat emanating from her husband, compounded by her brain still swimming in a sea of alcohol. In the way of their ancestors, she was mounted and he was rutting. He cried her name one last time at a fever pitch. She felt him bite on the back of her neck and groan into it. Something hot was pumping into her. She called out to him. He could barely pant a response before fainting, still atop her, something still contaminating her insides.
"Shining? Shining?" she asked. But she was alone. The princess shut her eyes and waited for the release of sleep.
Cadance awoke to the feeling of someponyone shifting beside her. She held him and yawned sleepily. He was warm and smelled good. The prior night's events drifted back into her head. Warmth, then heat. Passion. A pressure, delight, and thenthem something hot pumping in between her legs before she drifted off with her mind blanked. Without looking at him, she kissed Shining Armor deep on the mouth, playing into his with tongue.
She was in heaven. Time had become an illusion as every day from start to finish was just packed with love and delight, from early morning cuddles, to mid afternoon kisses, to late night cries and shudders. Every day, she had gotten up ahead of him, still in the dark, to make breakfast. Crack some eggs, fry some bread in butter, and fluff the yogurt with a flourish of fruit syrup to it all. Then, go back and wake up her dear husband, who sometimes wasn't entirely loved out from the night before. Sometimes, the breakfast was cold before they got to it. Cadance liked those mornings the best.
Best two weeks of her life, ever.
The princess had forgotten what it was like to be alone, the feeling of cold air and dead objects being the only things against her fur, to speak out to the void and hear nothing back.
Even so, on some desolate and dark mornings, where, despite the summer's warmth, a chill would creep over her again like a spider creeping up on her, a sense of wrongness before the first leg so deliberately froze to her awareness. And like a spider, when she banished it, she never knew where it was, just that it was watching her, ready to descend onto her without warning again. And, like a spider, it left webs everywhere that she would stumble into to remind her of its lurking presence, even though she didn't know where it was, only that it was still there.
"Morning, Cady..." Shining yawned at her, sending her fears skittering back into some dark corner.
"Shi..." Cadance mumbled back, gathering him up in her legs and hugging close to him. She kissed him. Warmth met her, but the warmth was short lived. Shining Armor got out of bed. “Where are you going?”
“Yakyakistan,” he said, “I’m being deployed.”
Cadence blinked. “What time is it? At least let me get breakfast with you.”
“It’s four. Wheels up at six thirty. Sorry, my love, I’m running late as it is.” He kissed her. She did not feel the warmth this time.
“But we just got back from the Mild West, when you said you had to go right back to work, I didn’t think right away right away. She reached out to him, but he ignored her, yanking his duffel out from the closet and magically hurling neatly folded uniforms into it.”
He didn’t answer her, she knew that meant there was no point in talking. “Can I at least come with you to the departure?”
“Of course, Darling!” Fabric pelted Cadance in the face as one of Shining’s morale shirts hurtled across the room, followed shortly thereafter by a pair of his jeans. The perks of marrying someone the same height. The text read ‘14TH CANTERLOT GUARD - THE ROYAL PAINS!’ while the olive green field showed a snarling stallion with a halberd in his curled grasp and a sabre in his teeth.
Since Shining was still packing, Cadence leapt into the kitchen, set the burner, and magically readied several eggs with tomato chunks and bell peppers from the fridge. She had to race against time, and so induced magnetism to heat the iron skillet. She painted it with the stick of butter levitated over its surface and hurled in the ingredients. After just a couple minutes, the eggs and ingredients had solidified, and she whisked them away onto a plate, just in time for Shining Armor to come out of the bedroom in uniform with his gear.
“Eat this!”
“There’ll be food at the mess and on the plane,” Shining huffed.”
Cadence stood up taller than him and commanded, “You will obey your princess, you will eat the last good delicious homecooked meal your wife will make for you for the foreseeable future, and you will like it!”
“Okay, okay,” Shining acquiesced, grabbing the omlette in his own magic and chowing down on it.
Cadence watched raptly. She nuzzled him, purring, “Good stallion, I just love taking care of you.”
He laughed, “That you do. I love you, Cadence.”
They walked fast to the royal garage and Cadance got into the driver seat. Shining would have tried to drive, but Cadance got there first and scolded him about multitasking. They got to the airbase with plenty of time. As Cadance drew up to security, she got that sinking feeling in her stomach. She glanced at her husband, trying to remember his features, trying to sculpt them into her brain for when he wasn’t there.
Security cleared them too quickly, the downsides to being a princess holding onto fleeting time. Soon she was at the drop off, looking him in the eye one last time.
“I don’t want you to go, Shiny.”
“I know, Cady, but I have to.”
She hugged him. “When will I see you again?”
“In six months,” he said, “it won’t be that long. And I’ll put in for a domestic duty post.”
“But I need you now,” she cried, clutching him tighter. “Chrysalis was just two weeks ago. I’m still fragile from that.”
Shining looked down at her, his expression softening. “I know and I’m sorry. I wish I could stay, but I can’t.”
A piece of hope died within Cadance. Shining could be downright indulgent of her, like with the omlette that morning; she knew he’d be in trouble for being late because of it, but he sat down and ate it because he loved her and the care she took of him. But Shining had just told her he would not stay for her. When he was so absolute, she could never change his mind. Not with tears, not with threats, not even with promises of pleasures. She had lost her internal war as she saw him off to battle.
“I know, I’m sorry for trying to make you.”
“It’s okay, I love you,” Shiny said as he kissed her. And then he got out of the car and joined his unit.
Cadence went and parked and cried until it was time to go to the airstrip. She had to reapply some makeup to hide the fact she had been crying. It wouldn’t do to see a princess of Equestria looking with anything but pride upon her nation’s bravest and strongest off to do their duty on her behalf.
She was so glad this wasn’t an official function.
Princess Cadance saw the hulking grey metal tube that would be taking her husband away from her. She glared at it, even as it glared right back angrily in the unbearably fierce morning sun. The troops were all there on the runway, bags at their hooves, standing at attention while some high ranking guardspony gave a canned speech about duty, valor, and sacrifice. He droned on in that angrily clipped military way of speaking Cadance had become overly familiar with in her years near the guard, both dealing with her own guards, and from her contacts with it through Shining Armor. She found herself losing focus. The words lost all meaning besides how she translated them into normal Ponish, which was ‘Enjoy being lonely for half a year!’ It was repeated brashly over and over again.
And just when the mare didn’t think she could stomach another word, it stopped. The stallions and mares in uniform hefted their bags and boarded the gullet of the plane, waving jauntily to the crowd. Cadence waved at Shining, easily visible being the tallest mare there and blew him a kiss. She saw him blush from the eighty yards distance and had to content herself with that. She stood still as the plane’s engines roared to life and it taxied. And then it gained speed, roaring like a mighty dragon as it took off, and then into the air.
The plane, with her husband on it, was growing more distant and smaller by the second, and soon was inscrutable, even to an alicorn’s superior senses. Cadence gave one last feeble wave in its vague direction and her hoof dropped to the ground.
Cadance tried to go home, but perked up at a familiar masculine voice. “Cadance! Is that you?” She raised her hanging head to see Night Light and Twilight Velvet a few rows over, beckoning to her. She waved back in acknowledgement and made her way over to them.
She soon was by her friendly in-laws. “Night, Velvet, good to see you.” She grinned wryly.
Night Light put a hoof on her shoulder. “How are you?”
“Fine, er, thanks,” Cadence answered. “I was just going to go home now.” She in reality would rather be anywhere else than trying to maintain a fake smile in public.
Twilight Velvet said, “Let us take you to breakfast, first. You just got in last night, surely you haven’t eaten at all. Besides, we haven’t seen you, Cady, since the wedding. Let us treat you.”
Cadence wanted to refuse, but the ache in her tummy gave her pause. And before she knew what was happening, Night Light’s strong hoof at her croup had her following along like she was a tween filly getting the grand tour of the house all those years ago.
The three of them sat down at a table under some trendy colored lights with abstract molded glass decor. Cadence had never been to this cafe before. It wasn’t really her thing, she preferred a more traditional design, good old wooden chairs, wooden tables, incandescent lights, and decorations heavily themed around coffee. This place must have been new, it looked more like an image from a computer, a dream of the future, rather than a cozy coffee house out of the past. And as if to complete the image of modern sophistication, the menu was accessible by a scannable bar code for their phones instead of drawn on the headboards in chalk. It felt odd, foreign, but a little exciting. Not a place she’d’ve picked at first glance, but it felt like a good thing.
The drinks were all there soon. Night went with some exotic coffee blend. Velvet had gotten a cappuccino. And as for Cadance, lady’s classic comforter, something sweet and chocolatey.
Twilight Velvet initiated conversation. “So, Cadance, how was the honeymoon?”
The princess blushed. “We kinda didn’t do much.”
She caught Night Light’s repressed grin. How could he not know?
Velvet came to her rescue. “Just a nice cozy time together?”
“I suppose, very comfortable.”
“Tell me all about it, and I do mean all about it.
Cadence took a deep gulp of her burning hot drink to wet her mouth. “Well, the train ride over was nice. Shining got in trouble for trying to bring his sabre along, but the railroad refused to allow it. We had a first class wagon all to ourselves. We got to see the sunrise over the Great Mustangian Prairie on our way out while they served us breakfast in the sleeper.”
“How romantic,” said Velvet.
“Totally. We got off at Dodge Junction at half past noon, and it was a few hours of walking to get to our hacienda rental. The landlord, a very nice buffalo, left us a bottle of fantastic yucca wine that of course didn’t survive the first night.” Cadance felt it, she was smiling again, looking into Velvet’s eyes. Her troubles suddenly felt so much less, staring into those kindly welcoming eyes; her husband’s deployment, her own tiredness, even the lingering fear of Chrysalis felt distant so long as she was staring at Velvet’s tender face, just talking to her.
Cadance blushed and tried to hide her expression shyly. “What’s wrong?” Night and Velvet asked together.”
“Nothing, nothing,” Cadance giggled, meeting Velvet’s eyes once again. Night Light shoved some cookies her way she accepted gratefully, still waiting on their entrees, but what she really wanted was to keep talking to Velvet.
Their sandwiches arrived and the conversation was interrupted by the sounds of eating. The sounds of eating presently gave way to joking and laughter between the three of them as the plates became empty apart from remnant crumbs. They eventually were slowly sipping the cool remains of their coffees, nibbling on remaining bread crusts and cookies, keeping the good time going for just a little longer.
Night Light got up to use the bathroom, leaving Cadance and Velvet alone.
Velvet asked, “Feeling better now?”
Cadance nodded and answered, “Definitely, yes, thanks.”
“Night and I know how it is, when he goes off like this. We miss him, too.”
Cadance said, “It really never gets any easier.”
“It doesn’t, at least not alone, but you don’t have to put up with it alone, Cady, you have us – Night Light and I, and Twilight, and Luna, and Celestia.”
Cadance laughed, “How much spare time do you think we princesses have? My stay at Canterlot had to be arranged months in advance, and even then, it was still too short notice to rearrange Luna’s duties for her to attend my wedding.”
Velvet looked pensively at her hooves. She sucked it. “It really is lonely at the top, isn’t it?”
“You… have no idea… And without… Without him…”
Velvet reached out and caught Cadance’s hoof. “Easy, Cady, I’m here!” She startled herself, her intended quiet whisper being a loud his.
“I know, and thank you. Could we meet again, please, soon?”
Twilight Velvet nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! Let’s do it sometime this week to keep up the feeling.”
“Yes, let’s do it,” giggled Cadance at the voice of words, hoping the blush didn’t show through her pink hair.
